Need to take your mind off of America’s turbulent week? have a few new or updated Android apps games that might help you your family focus on something else for a bit. Android Auto is this week’s big highlight, as ’s updated driver-friendly app can now work in any car use your device screen—no special hardware needed.
Our other picks this week fall more firmly into the realm of distractions: The Trail is a casual quest that sends you adventuring ever ahead through beautiful terrain, while Galaga rs remixes the classic arcade shooter with glossy new tweaks. Meanwhile, Remixlive is an approachable, yet in-depth beat-making tool, while Disney Story Central delivers droves of books for your kids to devour. Grab a few apps unwind this weekend!
Android Auto
From the main menu, you can easily access music, maps, other quick-access apps.
ior to this week, using Android Auto came with a hard requirement: having access to a car with a compatible dash display or aftermarket stereo. ckily, that’s no longer the only way to use Android Auto, as now the app itself can make your phone or tablet plenty useful in any car. th this week’s update, Android Auto now lets you use your device screen while driving, offers access to navigation, music, calls, texts, more in a car-friendly format.
ile not exactly the same interface as you’d see on a dash screen, Android Auto’s phone mode makes all the buttons controls big chunky so they’re easier to hle while driving. You can use voice comms send texts by voice, as well, but you’ll need to tap a button first; “OK ” control is coming soon via update. If you use your phone a lot while driving, Android Auto makes the experience a lot easier hopefully safer. st pop it into a mount, fire up the app, you’ll be on your way.
The Trail
Your traveler looks a little rough early on, but that can change.
Adventure games with crafting exploration elements tend towards the hardcore end of the gaming spectrum, as titles like Don’t Starve Terraria exemplify, but The Trail puts a more casual spin on the premise. You’ll explore a colorful world from a behind-the-back perspective, making it seem like a slower-paced endless runner, but along the way you’ll snag items, craft tools clothing, trade interact with various characters.
Eventually, your character will make his way to en Falls build up the town, but the lightweight blend of simple mechanics, play-at-your-own pace wering, beautiful environments seems solidly appealing—although also a little aimless at first. The Trail comes from 22Cans, the studio from gaming legend Molyneux (pulous, Fable), which you might know from its previous mobile effort, Godus.
Remixlive
You’re all set the next time someone dems, “Gimme a beat.”
ke to play around with beat-making tools on the go? Here’s another one to check out: Remixlive lets you turn the song in your head into a lavish, professional-sounding beat using an array of sample pads plenty of other tools. The interface scales well between phones phablets/tablets, giving you more control when extra space is available—yet in either case, the core interface is kept absolutely approachable.
And if you want to go deeper, you can dig into the other menus to control levels, add effects, edit samples, play with the B, use beat-repeat pads as desired. Remixlive comes with a few sample packs with the free download, while additional genres styles are sold via an in-app store for a couple bucks apiece.
Galaga rs
Old-school Galaga with new-school graphics… in-app purchases.
Remember the arcade classic Galaga from back when? ll, it’s celebrating the ripe old age of 35 this year, Namco Bai just marked the occasion by launching Galaga rs for Android. Unlike the pixel-packed renditions of the past, the shooter has a fresh slick new look paired with a speedier take on the bug-blasting, vertical-scrolling combat— it’s a free-to-play game now as well.
Galaga rs doesn’t come with any energy meters or play restrictions, thankfully, but there are paid perks premium ships, along with the option to watch video ads to continue once your ship goes boom. Even with those pesky bits, Galaga rs offers a pretty entertaining one-thumb shooter experience, you can play enjoy plenty without spending a cent.
Disney Story Central
Moana past movie hits are well represented as books for varying age levels.
If your kids are voracious readers love Disney, then the Mouse House has a potentially cheaper way to keep them stocked with new books. Disney Story Central offers more than 175 digital books to read within the app, all with full spoken narration, touches on all of the modern sensations: Frozen, xar films, Disney . fare like Sofia the First, plenty more.
th a paid subscription ranging from $8/month to $40 for six months, your kid(s) can read everything available in Disney Story Central so long as you keep paying. Otherwise, they can permanently buy individual books using tokens that you can purchase in bundles. Buying the digital books could get a little pricey, but at least then you’re not committed to the subscription. Story Central just launched with several books from Disney’s new Moana film, too, so there’s plenty fresh fare for tykes to explore.
